ZTE to develop 3G handsets compatible with BT Movio
BT has signed an agreement with equipment maker ZTE to develop a 3G mobile handset compatible with BT Movio’s wholesale mobile entertainment service. The new phone will enable 3G mobile operators to offer BT Movio’s broadcast mobile TV and DAB digital radio service, alongside existing video-on-demand services and niche channels over their 3G networks. The agreement follows the commercial launch of BT Movio in the
UK
recently. ZTE will develop and supply multi-mode 3G/DAB-IP enabled handsets to further extend the portfolio of devices capable of supporting the BT Movio service.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
Technorati : 3G, BT Movio, Mobile, UK
Ice Rocket : 3G, BT Movio, Mobile, UK
Cingular Wireless and Motorola Introduce the MOTORAZR v3i
Cingular Wireless and Motorola continue to raise the bar in mobile music with their latest music device, the MOTORAZR v3i.
Like its predecessors, the MOTOROKR E1 and the MOTOSLVR L7, the MOTORAZR v3i is another Cingular exclusive handset featuring iTunes, giving mobile music lovers another great option for enjoying their favorite PC-based music collections on one of Cingular’s most popular handset designs.
“To date, Cingular remains the first and only carrier in the
to offer a phone with iTunes,” said David Christopher, vice president of product management, Cingular Wireless. “The Motorola RAZR is one of our most popular handsets and, with the addition of iTunes, we are thrilled to offer Cingular customers yet another great device that addresses both their communication and entertainment needs while on the go.”
The MOTORAZR v3i is available exclusively in the
U.S.
through select Cingular Wireless retail locations or via http://www.cingular.com/ for $249.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate.
Source- http://www.phonemag.com
Technorati : Cingular, Mobile, Motorola, Wireless
Ice Rocket : Cingular, Mobile, Motorola, Wireless
‘Mobile Phones As Addictive As Cigarettes’
Mobile phones are as addictive as cigarettes or gambling with almost one-in-six youngsters hooked on them, according to new research.
And the habit of being constantly attached to their mobiles is causing their stress levels to soar.
Psychologist Dr David Sheffield, who carried out two studies into mobile phone use and stress, said some of the volunteers displayed behaviour you would associate with pathological gamblers.
One-in-seven (13 per cent) became restless and irritable if they were denied their mobile phone and even more (14 per cent) would lie to cover up the amount of time they spent on their handset. Seven per cent would lose a job rather than give it up.
Dr Sheffield said: “This is addictive behaviour. You might ask how people can get hooked on mobile phones but you would probably see similar responses if you took away someone’s car. They are part of everyday life.
“Getting phone calls can make you feel better about yourself – give you greater self-esteem. Whereas not getting calls can make you feel down or less important.”
In one study the researcher tested the blood pressure of 20 mobile phone users while they talked about their phone use before and while giving up their mobile phones.
He found people reported less hassles and uplifts when they had given up their handset and the increase in blood pressure when talking about their phones was not as large.
In the second study 106 students completed two questionnaires about mobile phone use and the addictive qualities of using a mobile.
Dr Sheffield will tell a British Psychological Society conference tomorrow that over 16 per cent of those questioned were found to have problem behaviour with their mobile phones.
This included being pre-occupied with it, being restless or irritable when attempting to cut down on phone use and lying to others about the extent of their mobile phone use.
Dr Sheffield, of
Staffordshire
University
, said: “You have to take into account this study was carried out specifically on students but it seems large numbers use mobile phones heavily and this has a significant impact on their lives.”
Bharti remains top pick in Indian telecom sector
“Bharti Airtel (Formerly Bharti Televentures) is
India
‘s largest private sector provider of integrated telecom services, especially wireless. The wireless business accounts for nearly two-thirds of the company’s total revenue. The company is a market leader in wireless services and its wireless operations extend across all 23 domestic circles.”
Potential for margin expansion despite tariff pressures
“Bharti believes that wireless EBITDA margins could expand to ~39-40% over the long term, despite likely continued pressure on revenue per minute, rpm. In 1Q FY07A, Bharti’s wireless margin stood at 36.4%; we forecast margins at ~37% for FY07E and expect that margins will expand further to ~39% in longer term, as scale economies should overcome rpm pressures. Despite the growing cloud of mobile minutes, Bharti expects rpm to remain under pressure due to high competitive intensity in the market and also, some pass through of scale benefits by operators.”
New operator rollouts seem unlikely before end-2007
“Recent newsflow of more wireless operators seeking a pan-India footprint is a dampener from the standpoint of industry structure, but we think any threat to Bharti’s customer and profit leadership is distant. Also, we think any on-the-ground network rollout by new operators is unlikely to commence before end-CY07.”
Reiterate Buy, Bharti remains our top pick
“We forecast Bharti’s earnings to grow at a CAGR of ~48% over FY06A-08E driven primarily by ~61% growth in its wireless subscriber base. At a PE of ~16x Mar ’08 & EV/EBITDA of 9x FY08E, the stock is currently trading near the lower end of its one-year forward PE-band of 18-24x and EV/EBITDA band of ~10-13x. Bharti remains our top pick in the Indian telecom sector. Buy.”
Source- http://www.moneycontrol.com
Technorati : Bharti Airtel, EBITDA, GSM, India
Ice Rocket : Bharti Airtel, EBITDA, GSM, India
India says leading mobile carriers hold 3G trials
NEW DELHI
(Reuters) -
India
has allowed major carriers, including Bharti Airtel Ltd., to conduct indoor trials of mobile services based on the 3G spectrum so they can test equipment, the telecoms ministry said on Wednesday.
Booming growth in the world’s fastest-growing wireless services market has led to a paucity of spectrum in large cities. Carriers have requested the government to allot fresh frequencies in the 3G and other bands to ease congestion.
Carriers that were given 3G spectrum for tests include state-run telecoms firms Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd., and private firms Bharti Airtel, 30.8 percent owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., and Hutchison Essar Ltd., an industry source told Reuters.
India
plans to allot spectrum in the 3G band later this year, and has appointed a panel to look into pricing and allocation.
Shares in
Bharti
,
India
‘s top telecoms stock with a market value of $17.4 billion, closed 4.7 percent higher at 443.05 rupees, an all-time high.
Source- http://in.today.reuters.com
Technorati : 3G, BSNL, Bharti Airtel, Hutchison, India, MTNL, Singapore
Ice Rocket : 3G, BSNL, Bharti Airtel, Hutchison, India, MTNL, Singapore
India overtakes China
Indian telecom operators added the highest number of new cellular users in the world in a single month in August.
With 5.9 million new mobile users,
India
has beaten
China
, which added 5.19 million new cellular users in the same period. Other countries in the top five include
Russia
with 3.6 million new mobile subscribers,
Brazil
with 2 million additions and the
Philippines
where 1.9 million new cellular subscribers were added in August.
Explosive Growth
Mr T.V. Ramachandran, Director General, Cellular Operator’s Association of India, said that this explosive growth in subscriber numbers was a direct result of the forward looking policies of the Government, the enabling regulatory structure and the commitment of the industry to deliver increased access to subscribers with ever improving affordability. “With this growth,
India
was well on course to exceed the COAI forecast of 130 million subscribers by December 2006,” said Mr Ramachandran
As per global analysts Wireless Intelligence, the last half billion cellular subscribers had come in a record time of 12 months and has been mainly added in the very high-growth emerging markets of
China
,
India
and
Russia
. According to Wireless Intelligence, the global mobile industry has been growing at around 40 million subscribers per month, which is the highest volume of growth that the market has ever seen. The share of the Asia Pacific region in this growth is 41 per cent with
India
and
China
alone accounting for 25 per cent of the total subscriber growth worldwide over the last year.
Going forward, it is estimated that the cellular mobile subscribers will grow by another 500 million to reach 3 billion by the end of 2007. As per experts, the contribution by
India
to this growth would be the maximum and is estimated to be 80 million new cellular subscribers.
Source- http://www.moneycontrol.com
Technorati : Brazil, Cellular, India, Philippines, Russia, operator
Ice Rocket : Brazil, Cellular, India, Philippines, Russia, operator
China Mobile looking for opportunities to tap emerging markets
As the dominant local company, China Mobile Communications Corp is seriously seeking opportunities to tap emerging markets worldwide, said the boss of the world’s top cellular carrier.
“If we finally make our mind up to go abroad, we will concentrate on emerging and developing markets, such as in
Asia
,
Africa
or
Latin America
,” said Wang Jianzhou, president of China Mobile.
He ruled out the possibility of squeezing into the packed European and North American markets, where the penetration rate of cellular phones is already high.
Wang refused to disclose more details of the plan, such as a timetable, which countries may be involved and who were potential partners.
In July China Mobile reportedly entered a failed bid for Luxembourg-based Millicom, which has networks in 16 emerging markets including
Latin America
and
Africa
. The company has never confirmed the bid.
According to Wang, however, China Mobile has never stopped weighing up the pros and cons of the international market. There have always been different views within the company on whether to expand overseas.
Those who oppose the potential expansion argue that it is risky and besides, vast rural areas of
China
remain untapped and offer great potential for further growth. Why bother to take risks abroad?
“The reason China Mobile should start forming such plans is to secure both present and future profitability opportunities,” said Wang.
Moreover, if China Mobile can enlarge its size and business scale, the firm can further cut operation costs, he added.
Wang said that as the world’s largest cellular operator by value, China Mobile is experienced in setting up infrastructures and providing wireless communication services for areas and regions with harsh natural conditions, another reason why the company would be comfortable tapping less developed markets and regions.
China Mobile Hong Kong acquired
Hong Kong
‘s fourth-largest mobile operator China Resources Peoples Telephone early this year, and has given mobile service access to some unmanned countryside parks and areas in the special administrative region, to meet demands from tourists.
Yang Yuanqing, chairman of the Lenovo Group, advised that Chinese companies’ international business expansion should be firmly backed by solid business growth in the domestic market. As
China
‘s top personal computer (PC) maker, Lenovo bought out IBM’s PC division two years ago.
China Mobile’s mobile subscribers totalled 274 million by the first half this year, with net profit reaching 30.17 billion yuan (US$3.78 billion).
The cellular carrier will further expand the capacity of its second-generation (2G) networks to cater for surging local demand. “Although the 3G era is coming, we are still attracting 4 million new 2G users per month. Therefore, we will continue expanding our 2G mobile capacity to develop the local market,” said Wang.
Source- http://english.people.com.cn
Technorati : Africa, China, China Mobile, Latin America, Luxembourg, Milicom
Ice Rocket : Africa, China, China Mobile, Latin America, Luxembourg, Milicom
Nokia signs EUR 2 billion in deals in China
Nokia has announced two major contracts in
China
worth over EUR 2 billion this year. The company has signed a framework agreement worth EUR 580 million to supply China Mobile with GSM/GPRS network equipment. Deliveries have already started for the equipment, which includes radio and core network, base stations and the MSC Server mobile softswitch, as well as network planning, implementation and care services. In addition, Nokia has extended its supplier deal with China Postel Mobile Communication Equipment. The companies will cooperate more on mobile terminal sales, distribution network development and overall resource sharing, including further pushing sales of low-end Nokia phones. China Postel is expected to purchase Nokia phones worth in total some CNY 15 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) this year.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
Technorati : China, Mobile, Nokia
Ice Rocket : China, Mobile, Nokia
